Two Worthy Causes: Helping Survivors of Torture or Typhoon.

Christmas. You know it’s that time of year when the begging letters with pitiful photos of suffering donkeys/dogs/homeless people etc., flop through your letterbox designed to tear at your heart-strings, and dig a deep hole in your pocket. They are difficult to ignore. I’ve seen the graphic images on Facebook too. Images of unbelievable cruelty metered out on these poor innocent creatures. They stay with me for days and leave me weeping with anger and sadness.

Poniou by Veronica Vickery

But it’s the cruelty we inflict on our fellow humans that is the most shocking of all and shatter the lives of families around the world. Not to mention the natural disasters like the recent Typhoon Hayain that shatter the lives of millions of people. At the very least, witnessing the survivors of these natural or man-made catastrophes serve to put any adversities we may be experiencing into perspective. Anything that we can do, however small, to try to heal those affected and suffering is surely worth pursuing.

Two exhibitions opened this week in Cornwall with the aim of raising funds for charities that help others in desperate situations: Freedom From Torture and ShelterBox. It was a coincidence that they happened to open on the same evening. Both causes are close to my heart and I am proud to say I have had a small part to play in both events.

Works by Faye Dobinson (left) and Samuel Bassett.

‘Drawing the Line’, kindly hosted by the Millennium Gallery, St. Ives, is a sealed bid charity exhibition in aid of Freedom From Torture, the medical branch of Amnesty. The charity aims to help rehabilitate men and women from anywhere in the world who have survived torture. The exhibition has been organised and curated by artist, Kate Walters, and as a member of the West Cornwall branch of the charity, I offered to help ‘hang’ the show.

lunch break for Janet, Kate (and me).

Over 150 artists, not only from Cornwall but also from across the globe responded to the call-out and generously donated works with some well-known names amongst the line-up. Kiki Smith, Tim Shaw RA, Sarah Gillespie, Lisa Wright and Pippa Young to name just a few. With such a diverse range of work from different artists and over 200 works, putting this exhibition together has been a considerable task and not without its challenges.

untitled, by Richard Nott

However, there are some truly stunning pieces on show alongside contributions of work by a few of the people who have been helped by FFT. The exhibition runs until 7th December so there is still time to make a bid and own a drawing by your favourite artist! (I have donated 4 ‘drawings’).

A drawing by Hugh Mendes

Over £8,000 has been raised so far from successful bids. Take a look at more drawings here.

The exhibition is taking place in the Lime Tree Café at Tremenheere, with part of the proceeds going to ShelterBox, a charity set up in Cornwall delivering emergency relief to people around the world. (Typhoon Hayain in the Philippines is still so recent in our memories). The show which this year has a ‘botanical’ theme, runs until Sunday, 15th December. You can see the works here (I have contributed 3 small drawings which I did from a recent visit to the Gardens in November, see one below). The café is worth a visit in itself. A slice of their home-made coffee and walnut cake is highly recommended!

Collecting Seeds, 2013, mixed media collage, 23cm x 18cm, by Caro Woods. Inspired by the knowledge that the owner of the garden is a modern-day plant collector who visits foreign parts of the world to bring back seeds to enhance the garden at Tremenheere.

Posted by:Caro Woods

I am an artist who lives in an old Methodist Chapel in the heart of a small rural village on the Western edge of Dartmoor, Devon. I love wild places and make work about the pilgrimages I make. Most days revolve around the needs of my two ponies and two whippets and writing a book about one of my epic equine pilgrimage. Otherwise I spend my time creating: with camera, pencil, pen, brush or collage. Also blog posts about walking / thinking / observing / drawing. A spiritual quester who enjoys sharing my encounters with the mystery and magic of everyday life, both mundane and profound. Above all, always searching for the core of my creativity.

CARO WOODS

This website/blog is about sharing impulses, visual notes and things that tease my mind or catches my eye. It follows my creative projects and highlights the area where life meets art. Most often it's a gradual process of peeling away the skin to reach the core of my creativity.

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